Monroe swan nest vandalized, leaving two eggs missing, resident says

BY ERIKA NORTON
MONROE — Longtime Monroe resident and nature photography enthusiast Sharon Scheer has been watching two swans, nicknamed Bogey and Bacall, for a long time. For months, the two swans have been taking turns sitting on their eggs in their nest, located in a small marshy pond area behind South Orange Family YMCA and near the Orange & Rockland property and the Heritage Trail.
But recently, when Scheer went to see if the swan couple’s four eggs had hatched, she found debris around the nest and two of the eggs were gone.
“Somebody went up there with crates and 2x4s and made an island and tracks all the way up to her nest and stole two eggs,” Scheer said. “They are protected by the state of New York and no one is supposed to go in and touch them. I don’t know if today’s kids would do that.
“Teenagers today, aren’t they just into the computers and phones and the iPads?” Scheer continued. “I really don’t see why teenagers would do that, but someone threw crates all around where she was and I found a tequila bottle also.”
Scheer said she reported what she found to the state police, as well as to the Town of Monroe Supervisor Tony Cardone. By Monday night, two new “no trespassing” signs were put up near the area by the Town of Monroe Highway Department per Cardone’s instruction.
According to the state Department of Conservation, mute swans are protected by New York State Environmental Conservation Law. Therefore, swans, as well as their nests and eggs, are not to be handled or harmed without authorization from DEC.
If someone was caught disturbing or harassing wildlife without a permit, they could be hit with a fine of up to $250. They could also be fined for trespassing by the town.
DEC planThe DEC estimates there are about 2,200 mute swans throughout the state, with three distinct populations on Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley and along Lake Ontario. The elegant birds were imported from Europe and Asia in the late 1800s to live in parks and on estates.
For the last several years, the DEC has been planning to reduce the mute swan population in New York, but several government officials and animal rights organizations remain unconvinced that such drastic measures are necessary, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed a bill into law last year putting the brakes on the plan.
The DEC maintains that mute swans are an invasive and non-native species that causes damage and problems to the state's wildlife and residents, but the plan has yet to be finalized or approved due to skepticism from lawmakers and local officials.
Two eggs leftMute swans can live in the same area for up to 30 years. Scheer said these swans in Monroe have lived in the area for several years, flying away in December and flying back around March to lay their eggs.
She said that Bogey and Bacall had one baby swan, called a cygnet, hatch last year. Sadly, the cygnet only lived a couple days.
Scheer said she’s hoping that at least one of the two eggs is able to hatch and survive.
“I’m hoping that nobody goes back,” Scheer said.
“They’re just beautiful.”